


Gone Mongol

by clgfanfic



Category: War of the Worlds (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:23:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Debi and Norah have a chat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gone Mongol

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Green Floating Weirdness #11 under the pen name Laura Grigsby.

_"Right on target."_

 

Debi sat and shifted on the well-made twin bed, watching while Norah Coleman carried a small suitcase over and set it down on the olive wool blanket.  Taking a seat at the foot of the bed, the sergeant pulled her sock-covered feet up and smiled at the teen.

          "Was it cool?"

          Norah nodded.  "It was… seriously cool."

          Debi grinned.  "Why'd you have to go?  Seems like they would've left you here."

          Norah's fingers tapped on the top of the case.  "Well, that's a little complicated.  Miss me?"

          Debi nodded.  She had.  She had missed their chats, horseback rides, jogs, swims, and talks.

          "Let's see… after things started to change in the former Soviet Union, the Russians left Mongolia.  You know where that is?"

          Another nod.

          "Well, our country took the opportunity of the Russian withdrawal to re-establish relations with Mongolia.  The Mongolians were trying to develop their own defense establishment – to protect their borders – and they asked the U.S. for help."

          "So they sent you?" Debi asked, perplexed.

          The non-com smiled.  "Not until the U.N. decided that the new military needed to know about the aliens.  When they did, the Pentagon started looking for someone who could go explain what was going on."

          Debi leaned forward.  "But why'd they pick you?"

          Another smile flashed across the sergeant's face.  "When I was a little kid…  My mom was Russian.  She used to talk to me and my brothers in Russian.  We picked up the language.  When I went into the Army, doing intelligence, that was the language I specialized in.  I'm a Russian linguist."

          "Wow," Debi breathed.  "Is that hard?  I mean, I can't even do French or Spanish every good."

          "It's easier if you learn when you're really, really young," Norah explained.

          "Where'd you go in Mongolia?"

          "I spent most of the six months at Ulan Bataar, teaching a bunch of officers English and trying to make them believe me about the alien threat."

          Norah pressed the two buttons, allowing the suitcase clasps to spring free.  Opening the top, she waited until Debi's patience evaporated before pulling out an embroidered silk scarf – a pale green cloth filled with colorful swirls of flowers and birds.

          "Oh, wow!  Coolest!"

          "I thought so, too."  She handed the scarf to the girl, watching while Debi placed it carefully around her shoulders.  "Like it?"

          "It's beautiful!"

          "It's yours, Kiddo."

          Debi's blue eyes went wide.  "Mine?"

          Norah nodded.  "I picked out one for you…"  She lifted out two more; blue and red.  "…your mom, and Mrs. P."

          "Cool!"  Debi pulled the material tighter around her shoulders.  "Mom'll really like that.  Did you get anything for Harrison, Norton, and the Colonel?"

          She nodded, reaching into the suitcase.  "This is for the Colonel," she said, handing Debi a small ivory elephant.  "It'll be his Christmas present from the unit."

          There was an appreciative sigh from the girl as she turned the finely carved object over in her hands.  "He'll like that."

          "For Dr. Blackwood," Coleman handing over a small cheesecloth bag.

          "What is it?"

          "Tea."

          "Herbal?"

          Norah grinned.  That was one way to describe lichens.  "Close enough.  But it _is_ organic."

          Debi giggled, then grinned shyly.  "And for Norton?"

          A soft blush crossed the sergeant's face.  "Hmm…"

          "Come on," the teen wheedled.  "I know you got something.  He really missed you."

          "Really?"

          "Yep.  He was a pain."

          That sparked a laugh.  "Okay," Norah agreed.  "But this is our secret, right?"

          Debi nodded enthusiastically, and Norah pulled out a long, black silk nightgown, embroidered in strategic locations.

          "Oooohh…" Debi sighed.  "That's awesome!"

          "I hope Norton agrees with you."

          Debi's smile was more knowing than Norah expected.  "He'll love it!"  She paused.  "But didn't you pick out things for yourself?  Besides the nightgown, I mean."

          Coleman shifted, embarrassed.

          "What?"

          "Well, the generals were… fascinated that the soldier our government sent to talk to them was a woman… _and_ a paratrooper."

          "I'll bet."

          "They invited me to take part in an airborne jump with their paratroopers.  I think it was a test to see how'd I do.  I think they thought I'd back out at the last minute.  Fat chance."

          "And?" Debi asked, leaning further forward and hugging the shawl closer.

"It went well, really well.  We jumped from a Soviet transport, which was different.  But it was a classic maneuver.  No injuries, and we landed right on target."

          Norah reached into what looked like an empty case and took out a box.  She opened it and removed a small badge.  She held it up for Debi to examine, then smiled.  "I was the first American soldier in history to be awarded, and given the authorization to wear the Mongolian airborne qualification badge."

          "All right!"  Debi rocked back.  "Norah, do you think if I went to West Point that I could do things like that, too?"

          Coleman gave Debi a serious look.  "Kiddo, you could do things like that whether or not you went to West Point."

          "Cool."


End file.
